Mount Vernon, NY Water Safety: 94/100 (2026)
5 ZIP codes · 4 water systems · Updated 2026-06-04
Water systems in Mount Vernon, NY serve households with few reported safety events.
How Mount Vernon Compares
Data: EPA SDWIS Last verified: 2026-06-04
Water Quality Map: Mount Vernon, NY
Each dot represents a ZIP code. Color indicates water quality grade. Tap a dot for details.
Score Distribution
How ZIP codes in Mount Vernon score across all safety grades.
What You Should Know About Mount Vernon Water
- Average lead level: 0.0025 mg/L.
- Homes built before 1986: 90% — older plumbing may contain lead solder.
- Estimated remediation: $1,920 per household.
- CDC health risk index: 10.47.
Who Supplies Your Water in Mount Vernon
3 water utilities share the residential service territory in Mount Vernon, NY — out of 4 total systems in federal records.
Overview
We track water quality and home safety data for 5 ZIP codes in Mount Vernon, New York (population ~72,386), covering 4 community water systems serving approximately 8,492,065 people region-wide.
No EPA violations recorded across any ZIP codes in Mount Vernon — an excellent indicator of water quality.
Home Safety Score
Average Home Safety Score for Mount Vernon: A (94/100)
The score combines three factors:
| Factor | What It Measures |
|---|---|
| Water Quality | EPA violations and compliance history |
| Lead Levels | 90th percentile lead concentration vs EPA action level |
| Radon Risk | EPA radon zone classification |
Water Sources
Mount Vernon water systems draw from: Groundwater, Surface water.
Lead & Copper
- Average lead level (90th percentile): 0.0025 mg/L (EPA action level: 0.015 mg/L)
- 0 ZIP codes exceed the EPA lead action level
Radon Risk
Dominant radon zone: Zone 3 (Low Risk)
- Zone 1 (High): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 2 (Moderate): 0 ZIP codes
- Zone 3 (Low): 5 ZIP codes
Areas with No Violations
| ZIP Code | Safety Score | System | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10550 | A | Mount Vernon Water Department | 73,893 |
| 10551 | A | Mount Vernon Water Department | 73,893 |
| 10552 | A | Mount Vernon Water Department | 73,893 |
| 10553 | A | Mount Vernon Water Department | 73,893 |
| 10557 | A | Mount Vernon Water Department | 73,893 |
All ZIP Codes in Mount Vernon
Data Sources
- Water quality: EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS)
- Lead/copper: EPA Lead and Copper Rule sampling data
- Radon: EPA Map of Radon Zones
Updated daily.
Health Outcomes in Mount Vernon
Source: CDC PLACES (County-level estimates). Water contamination can correlate with respiratory and chronic health conditions.
Compared to National Average
Vertical line = national average. ■ Above national · ■ Below national
Housing & Infrastructure in Mount Vernon
With 90% of homes built before 1986, lead solder in plumbing is a potential concern. The EPA banned lead solder in 1986, but many older homes retain original plumbing.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).
Housing Age Profile
While newer cities carry lower aggregate plumbing risk from lead-era construction, Mount Vernon sits firmly in the older category. The median build year of 1943 indicates that more than half the housing stock was built before 1986, when lead solder was still legally used in residential copper plumbing — and a substantial portion likely predates 1970, when lead pipes were still commonly installed for service lines. These two thresholds together define the elevated plumbing risk environment that older housing cities carry, independent of what the municipal water supply delivers to the meter.
Over half of homes in Mount Vernon were built before 1986, when lead solder was banned. Older plumbing may leach lead into drinking water, especially with corrosive water chemistry.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS B25034.
Cost Context: What Remediation Means for Mount Vernon Homeowners
Property equity in Mount Vernon runs well ahead of estimated remediation costs — a cost-to-value ratio that sits in the low tier, meaning documented water and safety issues here are the kind homeowners can plan to address without treating the expense as a significant budget event relative to what their homes are worth.
Remediation costs in Mount Vernon are relatively low compared to home values. The $1,280–$2,580 estimated range is a small fraction of median property value. Home values are 33% above the New York average.
Lead Exposure Risk for Children in Mount Vernon
Why children are most at risk: The CDC states there is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Children under 6 absorb lead more readily than adults, and even low levels can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties, and behavioral problems.
Wherever 90% of local housing was built before solder rules changed — as is the case in Mount Vernon — a faucet-level sample closes the gap that aggregate utility data cannot.
Sources: EPA Lead and Copper Rule, U.S. Census Bureau ACS, CDC childhood lead poisoning prevention guidelines.
Flood & Climate Risk in Mount Vernon
Flood history in Mount Vernon spans 112 NFIP claims and 60% flood zone coverage — enough to place it in moderate-exposure territory where flood events are genuinely recurring rather than statistical outliers. That distinction matters for water quality assessment because the connection between flooding and water safety is not uniform across communities. In low-exposure areas, flooding rarely generates the conditions needed to compromise treatment or distribution infrastructure. In high-exposure areas, it can do so repeatedly. Moderate-exposure communities sit in between: flood events occur with enough frequency to make periodic infrastructure stress a reasonable concern, particularly for private well owners and residents in lower-elevation FEMA-designated zones.
Mount Vernon has a moderate flood history with 112 FEMA claims averaging $9,003 per payout. 60% of ZIP codes fall within FEMA flood zones. Flood events can contaminate drinking water and overwhelm treatment systems.
How flooding affects water quality: Flood events can introduce sewage, agricultural runoff, and industrial chemicals into water supplies. Even after floodwaters recede, contamination can persist in wells and aging infrastructure. Flood damage can add significantly to the estimated <strong>$1,920</strong> remediation cost per household.
Residents in flood-prone areas should consider flood insurance even outside FEMA zones — over 25% of flood claims come from low-to-moderate risk areas. After any flood event, test your water before drinking.
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claims data, FEMA flood zone designations.
Deep Dive Reports
Detailed analysis for Mount Vernon, NY